Kindness to self using the breath.
So we start by getting into any comfortable position.
Having a sense of balance and alertness.
Tuning into the weight of the body and how it feels to have the weight of the body transmitted through those points of contact between the chair or the floor.
It doesn't have to be such an effort and we can just relax into the natural position of the body.
And now becoming aware of the breath.
What do you notice when you tune into the breath?
Perhaps it's the coolness of the air as it travels down the airways.
The way it gently expands the abdomen,
The chest.
And the subtle ripples of the breath throughout the whole of the body.
And what about the rate of your breath?
There's no need to try and control this by slowing down your breathing.
We're just tuning into what the body does best which is breathe itself.
The body being very clever actually to know exactly how fast to breathe to keep us alive.
Something we can often take for granted.
And so in this practice we can tap into the body's natural ability to care for itself through the breath.
Easing into this natural process that's going on all the time.
And noticing how that feels to tap into the self-kindness.
It might be that we're bringing something to the practice today.
Busy with thoughts perhaps.
Or some difficulty or discomfort.
And that's okay too.
We can use the in-breath,
The bringing in of kindly awareness to refresh the body.
And on the out-breath we can use this as an opportunity to let go of any tension or holding.
Are our shoulders tense?
Are we clenching the jaw?
On this next breath,
Showering the body in this kindly awareness and releasing any effort or holding.
A sense of the whole body top to toe in this gentle and caring state of constant flow.
And what's it like to just be with that experience?
And bringing our mind back to the breathing body if it's okay.
The breath always there to return to wherever we find ourselves.
We can always return to the sensations of breathing in the abdomen,
The chest.
The feel of the air in the passages.
Or focus on that precise location where we might feel the breath entering our bodies first.
And as we tune into this breath and the next,
We can forget the great job that the breath does of drawing in all that fresh oxygen into the body.
Drawing in that oxygen to where it needs to go.
Such an essential and amazing thing.
And of course there might be difficulty or discomfort that arises.
And we can continue to just keep breathing with whatever experience comes up.
We're not trying to change or eradicate these unpleasant feelings.
But simply by breathing with them,
We can bring that attitude of self-compassion and kindness to all experience.
And we can check in with the breathing apparatus again.
As well as the sensations in the outside of the upper body.
Remembering that diaphragm,
That big sheet of domed muscle that sits above the abdomen.
On the in-breath flattening out and almost massaging the abdomen.
With each out-breath relaxing back up as we release any tension.
And in this way the breath is always there as a way in to connect with some aspect of self-compassion and kindness.
And so staying with the breath for these next few moments as we come towards the end of the practice.
Remembering that we can always come back to this breath or the next.
And whenever you feel ready,
Just blinking your eyes open.
Making some small movements and seeing if you can carry some continued awareness of the breath into whatever you are doing next.
